Guinea Pig
by This Seraphim
Summary: Tsubasa this, Tsubasa that...' he thought angrily. 'If she's with somebody else now...' Natsume clenched his fists and shut his ruby eyes tight. ' Where does that leave me? ' CERTIFIED MxN and HxR. Please read and review!
1. Introduction

**Author's Note:** Hi everyone! - This story takes place fourteen years into the future, making Mikan and company 24-year-olds. While some aspects of the story may be confusing, I would like to encourage you to read on as everything will be revealed little by little in the upcoming chapters. As said in the summary, this is a revised version of the first chapter, so to those who read the original version, I highly suggest that you read this one too.

sweatdrops Sorry if the A/N was too serious. This is my first GA fic, so I had no idea how to start it with. Happy Reading! -

Disclaimer: Gakuen ALICE…definitely not mine.

**Guinea Pig**

by moonstar ruby

_"So what do you think?" she asked, her voice soft but urgent. "I was thinking of doing it tonight."_

_"Tonight?" he repeated in disbelief. "That's just insane...! You do know what tomorrow is, don't you?"_

_"Of course I do... That's precisely why I want to do this now," she explained. _

_"Get a hold of yourself for a minute," he advised. "Are you sure you want to do this? What if he wakes up all of a sudden? God knows what he can do!"_

_A sigh. "I don't want to do this. I _need_ to do this... It's the only way I can find out for sure if it's good enough."_

_"But it just doesn't seem right! Why can't you do it on me instead?"_

_"I already told you: you're the only one who knows about this. There's no point doing it on you now."_

_"But why him? Why not her?"_

_"That would be too easy. And besides..."_

_"...I like a challenge," she continued, a smug smile on her lips._

_It was his turn to sigh. "Are you sure?"_

_"Positive," she affirmed. _

_He sighed again. "I guess there's no stopping you now."_

_"I guess so." _

_"Just go easy on him, okay? If he gets really mad - _he shook his head_ - even I can't do anything to stop him."_

_"Okay, Mr. Worrywart. I won't," she said, planting a kiss on his cheek._

And that, I later found out, was the beginning of my nightmare.

* * *

A majestic full moon sat high above the night sky, illuminating the darkness together with the stars. The branches of the smaller trees curtsied politely as playful little crickets chirped to the rhythm of the wind.

Mother Nature was having a little stage show that night, but apparently, Natsume Hyuuga was too busy to notice.

There he was, panting heavily, leaning against a large oak tree. His head was lowered and beads of sweat trickled down the sides of his face.

"Hey, where'd he go?" said a low, drawly voice.

Deep, crimson eyes darkened with frustration as the sound of footsteps drew nearer.

His buddy scowled at him. "Don't ask me, you moron! We lost him because of you!"

Natsume whispered a string of curses to the darkness. _Now what?_ The fire user paused briefly to weigh his options.

One of the men had an Alice that allowed him to see through solid objects. The other one had enhanced hearing abilities. If he decided to stay where he was, he would definitely be spotted once those apes got close enough. But if he ran away...

_It's worth a shot_, he decided.

And so, heart racing, the fire user sped off into the darkness.

"Hey...I heard something," the second man informed his companion.

"What?"

"Footsteps. This way," he said, chasing after the faint but steady sound.

"Oi! Wait up, Buro!" yelled his moronic companion.

Buro ignored him. _This is it. We've got you now, Natsume Hyuuga_.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mikan Sakura sat alone on a large balcony, watching the stars as they twinkled merrily in the sky.

Why, you ask?

She had read in the newspaper that a meteor shower was scheduled to happen that night. And Mikan being Mikan, she decided she simply couldn't miss the event.

The brunette sighed softly. _I wonder where he is right now_- she mused as she took another sip of hot chocolate.

_Is he alright? The blanket I packed in his suitcase - is it warm enough? Is he shivering in his sleep, or is he fidgeting from the heat?_

Just then, she heard a sharp rustling sound from below.

"What was that?" she said loudly, her eyes turning saucer-round.

Mikan gasped.

"A thief?"

She quickly scanned the balcony for a weapon, and her gaze fell on a silver candelabra on the table. She grabbed it hurriedly and in her haste, knocked over the teacup. The cup broke into a hundred little pieces, the sound of breaking glass making Mikan panic even more.

* * *

Unknown to Mikan, the stranger hiding in the bushes under her balcony was more baffled than she was.

_That's Mikan, alright...But what's she doing here…?_

FLASHBACK

Natsume sprinted through the dense forest, turning every which way to evade those we were chasing him. He came upon a fork in the forest trail and randomly turned left. This was how he found himself in an old, beaten road surrounded by lush cherry blossom trees. There was no other way to go but forward, so he followed the trail that he had stumbled upon.

At first glance, the _sakura_ trees seemed to go on forever, but the road wasn't as straight as it looked. It had a lot of twists and turns, just the way Natsume had wanted it.

His luck wouldn't last for long, though, because further ahead stood the giant cherry blossom tree that marked the end of the _sakura_ lane.

But it was too late to turn back now.

As he neared the aforementioned tree, Natsume noticed a large, wall-enclosed house looming from the other side of it. He considered entering the property, but decided not to - after all, one of the men chasing him could see through solid objects. And besides, he couldn't afford to get innocent civilians involved.

Five minutes later...

_Nice move, Hyuuga. Turn left at the stupid fork and find yourself trapped with nowhere else to go._

He glared at the thick bushes lining the enclosing wall and sighed.

"Guess there's no other choice. I lost those apes a long time ago, anyway," he muttered, pushing aside the boughs to make room for himself.

And with that, Natsume got on his knees and disappeared behind the unkempt bushes.

Not long after, he heard a loud "What was that?" coming from above him.

The dark-haired fugitive looked up and saw a woman leaning over the railing.

Natsume's ruby orbs widened. Something about those long, brown pigtails on her head made his racing heart skip a beat.

_What the-? Is that...is that_ her he mused, craning his neck and squinting his eyes to get a better view.

Unfortunately, the lady ran to the part of the balcony that Natsume couldn't see. Seconds after she disappeared, he heard a loud, crashing sound - the sound of breaking glass.

A shrill, but muffled shriek followed, as if a third person clapped a hand over the woman's mouth.

_What's happening now?_ he wanted to know, frustration and worry visible in his features. _Is somebody else up there now?_

_Could it be those apes? Did they find her too?_

His face darkened. _No…I can't drag anyone - especially _her _into this mess. I better think quick…_

Natsume dashed out of his hiding spot and briefly studied the big _sakura_ tree.

_A large branch stretches all the way to the balcony_, he observed. He took one glance at the gargantuan tree, hoisted himself up the first branch and started climbing from there.

END OF FLASHBLACK

_That was Mikan, alright_, he thought to himself as he ascended the cherry tree. _That voice, that scream, that idiotic clumsiness...it's got to be her_.

_But what's she doing here? I thought she went back to her hometown after graduation? _

Upon reaching the overlapping branch, Natsume pressed his back against the tree's thick trunk. Earlier on, he decided to be move about as stealthily as he could -the last thing he needed was for Mikan to get scared out of her wits. If that happens, he knew for sure that she would let out a screech so loud that it would undoubtedly catch the attention of any person within a 500-meter range.

_Especially someone_ _with enhanced hearing Alice,_ he thought grimly.

Natsume inwardly heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Mikan on the other side of the balcony, her shaking hands clutching a candelabra tightly.

_No one's got her after all._

Then he heard the one thing he didn't expect to hear - a sharp snapping sound.

Apparently, the branch he was standing on wasn't as sturdy as it looked.

"W-what's that now?" he heard her say. Her whole body was shuddering and she had turned an anime shade of dead-white.

_She's looking this way,_ Natsume noted as Mikan slowly - _very_ slowly - turned to face the sakura tree.

Another snapping sound was heard, louder and this time.

"AHHH!" Mikan yelled frantically, "IT'S A G-GHOST!"

_Oh shoot...what do I do now?_ he mulled over as he looked at Mikan, the breaking branch, and Mikan again. _I guess there's only one way around it..._

_And besides..._

Natsume bent his knees slightly and held unto a stronger branch, his gaze focused on a certain spot on the balcony floor.

_...she does have a nullifying Alice..._

The fire wielder took a deep breath and leapt into the air...

...just as a frantic brunette ran aimlessly towards the floor area he was looking at a second before.

TO BE CONTINUED…

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading! - If you have any comments, questions, or (God forbid!) violent reactions…(OK, X the last part /\/\;) please let me know by leaving a review. As said earlier, this my first-ever GA fic, so _reviews_ and _constructive criticism_ (not flames) are very much welcome!

I think I made the original version too short, but I can't help but wonder if this version was too long…_sweatdrops_

Anyway, I promise to update as soon as I can! I was a reader before I became a writer and I also get a bit impatient with fics that are left hanging for too long. That said...

Till the next chapter, dear reader! -

Don't forget to leave a review:P


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Hi everyone! Do you guys still remember me?

Yes, I admit, my update came later than I expected, but I had a lot (and by a lot, I _mean_ a lot) of qualms about the second chapter. I hope you'll forgive this chapter's tardiness (_bows apologetically_).

That said…Happy reading!

**DISCLAIMER: **Gakuen Alice…definitely not mine.

**Guinea Pig**

by moonstar ruby

"So…you want sugar cubes with that?" Mikan asked him in an awkward manner.

Her unexpected guest took one look at his cup of hot chocolate and shook his head. "No thanks."

The brunette let out a loud sigh. "Listen Natsume, about a while ago," she began, "I'm really sorry."

"Hn."

"Really, I am! I didn't mean to hurt you or anything. I thought you were a burglar or a ghost, and I got really scared when you came swooping down from the _sakura_ tree."

FLASHBACK

And there he was in the _sakura_ tree with a mentally-locked landing spot and barely a second to spare before the branch would give in beneath his feet. Whether he liked it or not, he had to be ready for take off. And he _was_ more than ready.

So much so that he failed to notice the brunette that was making her way towards his destination. That is, he failed to notice it before it was too late.

On that particular moment, two pairs of eyes widened as their current predicament became _painfully _clear (pardon the pun).

"What the – "

"Look out!"

A terrified "GAAAAHHHH!"

A startling _BAM!_

A muffled "OOF!"

_Thud._

Such were the sounds that graced the formerly silent balcony.

Horrified beyond her wits, Mikan Sakura stood gaping at the figure sprawled on the ground.

A groan ensued from the poor soul, snapping Mikan out of her dazed reverie. She got to her knees and did what she could to help him up.

Yes, _him_.

_The_ Natsume Hyuuga, knocked down by – or technically, because of – a woman.

_How in the world did _that_ happen?_, you might ask.

Well for one, he didn't really know what hit him. As a matter of fact, the last thing he remembered seeing was her hand.

Her hand that was stretched protectively in front of her not too long ago.

Her hand that became her shield and, by a strange twist of fate, her weapon.

Her hand wherein Natsume found his face – particularly his nose – pressed painfully against.

Tsk tsk tsk.

END OF FLASHBACK

Natsume – flinching at the memory – shifted his gaze to the brunette and sighed.

"Well it's not like you can do anything about it now," he managed to say in a slightly wheezy tone, as if he had a bad cold (**A/N: **What we call the _ngo-ngo_ voice in my country /\/\).

"Can I at least get you an ice pack? You look weird, with your fingers pinching your nose like that."

He shot her a nasty glare. "My nose is bleeding, idiot. If I don't do this then it won't stop."

"I know that, Natsume," she retorted. "For God's sake, I'm twenty-four years old, not four! And anyway, I read somewhere that putting an ice pack to your head will make the blood in your nose dry out, so it'll stop bleeding so much."

"This wouldn't have happened if you didn't thrust your hand out like that."

"Grrr…I said sorry already, didn't I? And it's your fault for scaring me to death in the first place!"

"Well I wasn't trying to scare you, idiot. I was hiding beneath the petal clusters so you won't see me and act ballistic."

"Oh, so you think I won't be scared if I saw a stranger lurking in the _sakura_ tree, huh?"

"You could have avoided me if you watched where you were going!"

"Well _you_ could've avoided _me _if you watched were you were landing!"

Natsume opened his mouth to give another smart reply but no words came out. She did have a point, after all.

"Tch. Whatever," he said coolly as he took a sip of his drink.

Mikan grinned widely. "Got you there, Hyuuga."

"In your dreams, Sakura."

She smiled.

He smiled back.

It was just like the good old days they spent together in Alice Academy.

But wait. Something tells me we left out a very important part of their story. Or did we?

Where were they, anyway?

* * *

Ah, there they are, in Hotaru's lab.

Our favorite conniving innovator was typing away on a complex-looking keyboard while our favorite animal lover (or, should I say, animal_ love_) looked on.

But then, they aren't the focus of this story - well not yet anyway -so we might as well check back on Natsume and Mikan first.

Don't you worry, though.

You'll be seeing more of them soon.

Very soon.

So what are you waiting for? Read along now, dear reader.

There's nothing to see here just yet.

* * *

"There. Now aren't you glad I offered to lend it to you?" said a smiling Mikan when Natsume handed her the ice pack.

"My nose bleed was nearly gone by the time you gave it to me," he pointed out, although he wasn't so sure himself.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "A simple 'thanks' will do, you know," she informed him as she carefully removed the ice cubes from the bag and placed them on a tray.

Mikan looked up to see his reaction only to find out that he was looking at something else.

"Natsume?"

She followed his gaze and realized that he was staring real hard on her hand.

"What are you staring at my hand for?"

If Hotaru were there to photograph his expression, she would've gained quite a hefty sum for selling the pictures.

A dozen questions sprang on Natsume's head, but what stood out most was…

"What's that…on your finger?"

"My finger?"

The brunette tilted her head to one side and held her hand up for them to see.

"Oh…you mean my wedding ring?"

TO BE CONTINUED…

* * *

**Author's Note: **Liked it? Hated it (T.T)? Please let me know what you think by dropping a review (no flames, please)!

I'm awfully sorry for the cliffy, but I really hoped you guys liked this, because this particular chapter (and the rest to come, I expect) took a lot of brainstorming (and help from the dictionary!) to do.

Classes starts on the 14th for me (That's tomorrow T.T), but don't worry...I'm already working on the upcoming chapters and I'll try my very best to update as soon as I can.

Yes, I hear you. This chapter is kind of short, isn't it? The next ones would be much longer, because I'm already incorporating the darker, dramatic parts of the story there. Hehe...don't worry...no funeral scenes or tragic endings here, folks.

**To** **Hiyono-chin,** **hend, .Homicidal.Psychotic.Insane.Anime.Lover., WizdomGoddess, akai ladycuteluck, The Fanfic Collector, and Kyden1201:** You guys helped me a lot through the rough times of my second-chapter writing. Thank you so much for your reviews! You rock!

**To Hotaru and Ruka fans**: I hope this chapter didn't disappoint...you'll be seeing more of them soon, I promise! They'll be playing a _very _important part here...trust me./\/\

Well, that's all for now. Please don't forget to leave a review. :P

Till the next chapter, dear reader!


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Yello! It's me, moonstar ruby, back again with another chapter of "Guinea Pig!" /\/\ I ended up updating sooner than I expected, but I guess that's not such a bad thing (hehe).

Oh, and as an added bonus, I even put up the fourth chapter already so you guys wouldn't be left hanging again (since this one's rather short).

Just to clarify, even if Mikan is married to someone else (you'll find out who…though the summary might be helpful /\/\), this fic will end with her and Natsume together, m'kay?

And just so you guys know, there would **NOT** be any **_infidelity issues_** or **_divorces_** either.

'So how will they end up together?' you might ask.

Well go ahead…read on and find out/\/\

Happy reading!

**Disclaimer**: Gakuen ALICE…definitely not mine.

* * *

**Guinea Pig**

by moonstar ruby

The stunned expression on Natsume Hyuuga's face was priceless.

"Natsume? Sigh. Why do you keep spacing out like that?" Mikan asked loudly, snapping him out of his ephemeral trance.

The black cat abruptly tore himself from her worried gaze. All of a sudden, the marble flooring became more interesting to look at. "Since when…?"

"What do you mean 'since when'? You were spacing out just now!"

"…have you been married?" he continued, a shadow hovering over half his face.

Her chocolate-brown eyes widened upon hearing his last words.

For a moment, none of them spoke. That is, until…

"Last year," she replied. Her lips curved into a smile as she recalled the day she walked down the aisle. "I'm a June bride!" she added cheerfully in an attempt to ease the gradually stiffening atmosphere in the balcony.

His silence told her to go on.

"The ceremony was done in the Japanese Garden. You remember that, don't you? The one in downtown Tokyo?"

A distant owl hooted in response.

Not to be discouraged, Mikan proceeded with the narrative account of her wedding day.

"It was such a beautiful summer day – the sun was up high but the trees acted as our umbrellas. I wore this beautiful ivory gown, and the wedding cake was just so delicious! But I think the best part of it all was that everyone was there to – "

"Everyone but me," he suddenly interrupted in a dry monotone.

The brunette was startled more so with his choice of words than with his interjection.

"Why, Mikan? Why didn't you invite me at least?"

Warm chocolate orbs simultaneously mirrored contrition and a flare of anger as they met heated ruby ones.

"I did! It was you who didn't show up!" she snapped, her eyes shimmering all of a sudden.

Incredulity replaced the hurt look in the fire caster's eyes.

"I sent you a letter together with the invitation! You have no idea how much trouble I went through to write it…but I'll bet you just burned it into ashes!"

"What are you talking about? Do you think I won't go if I knew about it?"

"But we – no, _I _waited for _you_, Natsume! I wanted you to be part of my special day so badly…"

At that moment, he finally realized why her eyes were glistening so much. He wanted to reach out and make it stop, but instead, he watched helplessly as her tears started to fall.

"...that I ended up waiting for you until the last minute, until Tsubasa told me that–"

"Tsubasa? Why was he there?" Natsume demanded, to both of their surprise. "Why would Tsubasa be there and not me?"

Hell, he didn't even know where _that_ came from.

"You idiot!" she screamed to his face as the tears began to descend more rapidly. "Of course he was there (_hiccup_), because he's the one I married!"

* * *

Ruka gawked at the little spectacle he saw before him.

Hotaru glanced at him and sighed.

"Bravo, Ruka. Leaving your mouth open like is an excellent way to catch those pesky flies."

The renowned veterinarian frowned and shook his head, saying, "What are you thinking, Hotaru?"

A raised eyebrow.

"Even a fool would know that Natsume wouldn't be happy if he finds out. And here you are, a highly intellectual genius, yet you're still so persistent on doing this. Why?"

"I'm doing this all for the sake of science," she replied matter-of-factly as she zoomed in on the other two.

"That may be the case," said Ruka, "but does _science_ have to go this far?"

The evil genius smirked. "Oh, Ruka. Do you seriously think this is bad?" Hotaru asked him. She turned her head to the right and their gazes locked.

"Well guess what?" she said, bringing her face closer to his.

Drops of perspiration promptly cascaded down the back of Ruka's head. Something about the wicked glint in her amethyst eyes made him uneasy and apprehensive. If only he could decipher what went on inside her sly head…

Her lips once again curved into a smile as she softly whispered in his ear:

"That's not even the half of it…"

TO BE CONTINUED…

**Author's Note: **Well, what do you guys think? Did it up the suspense factor a bit/ Please do let me know by leaving a _review_ or a _constructive critique_ (not flames).

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this!

Till the next chapter, dear reader/\/\


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **As mentioned earlier, I've posted this chapter together with Chapter 3 (since the latter was admittedly too short). So far, Chapter 4 is the longest chapter I've done, and I sincerely hope you have a good time reading it.

I must warn you, though: Chapter 4 is a very dramatic chapter. As a matter of fact, some might think this chapter is practically oozing with OOC-ness, but I beg to differ. **At least give it a chance, okay?** I tried my very best think like the characters in the respective situations they find themselves in, so please be polite if you decide to point out a particular part with overwhelming OOC-ness.

That's all, thank you.

Happy reading!

**Disclaimer**: Gakuen ALICE…definitely not mine.

* * *

**Guinea Pig**

by moonstar ruby

"Here," Natsume said as he handed her a white handkerchief. "Wipe those tears off your face."

Mikan glared at him before looking away, saying, "Hmph. No, thank you."

If he were a bit taken aback, he did a pretty good job of hiding it.

"Tch. Suit yourself."

She sniffed huffily in response as she reached for the table napkins.

Natsume sighed to himself as he silently watched the brunette dry her tear-stained cheeks. Every emotion she showed was poignant and contagious. That is the reason why he – or anyone else, for that matter – never enjoyed seeing her cry. Her tears could make one feel sad in the same way that her smile could make another happy.

Then his gaze fell back on the blasted silver band on her ring finger.

_Silver? Feh. I can do better than _that_, Andou. _

Natsume gritted his pearly whites. He didn't like this at all – his mind was practically bursting at the seams with questions, each and every one of them screaming for answers. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore.

"How and where did you meet each other…?" he asked carefully whilst Mikan blew her nose.

"…again, that is," he added hastily, remembering that Mikan and Tsubasa had already known each other for years.

She blinked once and quickly disposed of the tissue containing her nasal exhaust.

"Sorry about that," she apologized, for even if the man in front of her was the one who drove her to a sudden emotional outburst, manners were _still_ manners. And blowing her nose like that was just no good at all. "Anyway, what were you saying?"

Natsume groaned silently and heaved another sigh. If his thoughts were real people, they would all probably be on their knees, begging to be asked. But there was one question that desperately needed an answer. And that was…

"Why marry Tsubasa?" he suddenly blurted out.

Mikan nearly choked on the hot chocolate she was drinking.

The black cat, on the other hand, was started mentally thrashing, kicking, and swearing at himself the moment those words left him. However, his cerebral self-affliction was cut short by a declaration.

"If you really want to know," she said, looking up at the night sky, "then I'll tell you."

Very carefully, Natsume considered her proposal. If he said yes, then his most troubling question would finally be answered. Then his mind could finally rest and quit its heart-like pounding.

However, he also knew of the heartbreak that would come from her words – the second heartbreak that would suck the life out of him. Not to mention the nightmare that he would have to live through all over again.

But one thing had changed. For after the heartbreak, he knew that there would no longer be a smiling tomorrow. The hope that one day, he might be able to right his wrongs would vanish as she spun her tale.

And now, a voice inside his head was telling him that her answer would have something to do with what happened – no, what he _did _– six years ago.

Damn right it would hurt.

It would hurt like hell.

Tch. Not like he cared.

After all, nothing could possibly be worse than the pain he was going through right now.

Because now, Natsume knew more than ever that he could never be with her again.

* * *

Mikan watched him closely as he pondered over her proffer. His eyes were partly glazed, an obvious sign that he was deep in thought. 

The protagonist sighed and looked her straight in the eye. "Go."

"What?"

"Tell me why – "

He stopped mid-sentence and sighed again.

"Just answer my question."

_I see. So he can't even repeat those words, can he?_

She smiled lightly and closed her eyes, readying herself for a long walk down memory lane.

"On our wedding day," she began, "everyone saw a happy, smiling Tsubasa. But not all of them knew that life wasn't always easy on him."

Natsume wordlessly looked up from his cup of hot chocolate.

"He was kicked out of the academy during our last year in Elementary. It turned out that his Alice was the kind that diminishes as the person gets older. You remember that, don't you?"

The fire emitter nodded in reply.

"And then right after that, Kaname-sempai passed away."

"Kaname...sempai?"

"That's right. He was Tsubasa's best friend. Kaname-sempai's Alice was bringing life to the stuffed animals he creates. Unfortunately, his Alice was the fourth kind, so his life span would decrease every time he uses it.

"So when Kaname-sempai passed on, Tsubasa went on a depression mode. He isolated himself from everyone, including his other best friend - Misaki Harada…

* * *

"_Come on, Tsubasa; quit your moping, will you?" said Misaki, a bright smile on her face. "Let's go to the park so you can pick me flowers_._"_

"_I don't want to," he replied flatly._

"_How about a movie, then? I'll even treat you, if you want."_

_No response._

"_Well if you don't feel like going out, maybe we can just watch TV downstairs or something." _

_Still no response._

_Sighing, Misaki stood up and walked around the room. _

_"God, Tsubasa, you must be really bored up here all the time. And what's with the drapes?" she asked as she made her way to the dark cloth that hung limply on the windows._

"_Don't," he said in a chilly monotone. 'Don't pull them up.'_

_"And why not?" she wanted to know._

_"It keeps the sun out."_

_Misaki laughed loudly. "It's winter, you idiot! How's the sun supposed to penetrate to your window, huh?_

"_'The sun's annoying..."_

"_But it's win –"_

_"Like you."_

_She spun on her heels to face him. "What did you say?"_

_"I said you're annoying," he replied in a louder tone. _

_"What, are you deaf?" he added, his cobalt eyes peering emotionlessly at her. _

_"Tsubasa, please don't be like this," said Misaki, her hands clutching the black cloth tightly. "I know that you're upset because of what happened, but I'm just trying to make you feel better."_

_Silence._

_"Tsubasa?"_

_Not a word was heard from the former shadow puppeteer._

_A lone tear trickled down Misaki's cheek. _

_"I worked so hard, you know," she spoke up again, her head hung low. "I worked so hard to be an honor student just so I could visit you, Tsubasa. I spent every waking hour studying just so I could top everyone else in the final exams! The least you could do is talk to me!"_

"_I didn't ask you to visit," came the icy reply._

_Pastel-cherry orbs stared at him in disbelief._

"_I never asked you - or anyone else, for that matter - to come and see me," Tsubasa continued. He clenched his teeth clenched and rolled up his fists into a tight ball._

"_So why does everyone keep trying to comfort me like I'm a stupid three-year-old?" he barked angrily at the poor girl. "I'm not a weakling! Can't any of you just leave me alo –?"_

_He stopped abruptly as his cheek came into painful contact with a fair hand._

"_But you are a weakling!" she cried, "All you do is hide away in your own little corner, pushing everyone away! Why? Why are you doing all this!"_

"_It's my life, not yours!"_

"_I'm only concerned, Tsubasa! All I want is for you to stop moping like that! I want the old Tsubasa back – the Tsubasa who teases me all the time, the Tsubasa I whack in the head all the time, the Tsubasa I dance with every year at the Last Dance –"_

"_But the old Tsubasa's not coming back! He's just not here, anymore, understand? Just like his Alice! The Tsubasa you knew could manipulate shadows, and now he can't! He can't, okay? He just can't – " _

"_I knew it! This _is _still about your Alice! Stop this foolishness, will you? Just because you're Alice is gone doesn't mean you're a different person!"_

"_Yes, it does! You can't whack or dance with _this_ Tsubasa," he pointed out, jabbing a finger at himself. "Heck, this Tsubasa can't even _set foot_ on_ _Alice Academy! Why? WHY? BECAUSE HE DOESN'T HAVE AN ALICE!"_

"_Please stop it, Tsubasa," she pleaded, tears starting to well up in her eyes once again._

"_I won't stop until you get what I'm trying to say! I'm just not the same, understand? I don't have an Alice anymore! The Tsubasa you knew had something, but this Tsubasa's..."_

"_What? That Tsubasa's nothing? Useless? So you ended up depending on your Alice all this time? You're such a loser!"_

"_What did you call me?"_

"_What, are you deaf?" she snapped back, mocking him with his own words. _

"_Grrr..."_

"_Oh my, are you about to hurt me now? Then I guess you're even more of a loser than I thought you were!"_

"_Shut your –" _

"_Hey!" a voice suddenly interrupted the fighting twosome._

_Tsubasa glared at the intruder, his bespectacled, spirit-hopping friend. _

"_Stop it, you two," he said as he got in between his feuding friends._

"_Loser!" Misaki screamed at Tsubasa, ignoring the newcomer._

"_Stop calling me that!"_

"_Why? You're not really planning to hit me, are you?"_

"_You're really asking for it..."_

_Mr. Spirit-hop took Misaki by the arm and pulled her towards the door._

"_Let go of me! Let go! I'm not yet done talking some sense into that loser!"_

_Tsubasa just sat and watched as Misaki was being pulled away from him forever._

"_Loser! LOSER!" he heard her yell one last time as the door shut close, leaving him to wallow in his misery alone._

* * *

"They haven't spoken since," Mikanc continued, "and Misaki-sempai ended up with my other _sempai_. When I saw Tsubasa again three years after our graduation, I asked him why he wasn't at Misaki-sempai's wedding. 

"He gave me this really strange look then his eyes suddenly looked sad and wistful. Even so, he faked a smile and forced a laugh, telling me that Misaki-sempai must have forgotten because he didn't even get an invitation. That day was the beginning – everything else just fell into place after that. Before I knew it, there I was, saying 'I do' in front of everyone else."

She smiled brightly at her one-man audience. "I know! I'll tell you about the time Tsubasa managed to get both of us lost in Hamakiyama…"

"…the fish he caught there was this big," she said, her two hands about two feet apart.

"Oh, and once, when we were on a hiking trip with a bunch of other newlyweds, Tsubasa practically sneezed his way up…"

"And of course, that day we watched 'Summer Jealousy'…"

"…the movie was sooo scary, I practically screamed on Tsubasa's ear the entire time…"

Natsume flinched as more anecdotes of their love story reached – and made their way out of – his ears.

_Tch. It sounds to me like they've been everywhere and done everything in the world._

He reached for his drink only to find out that he had already finished it down to the last drop.

"You've been drinking out of that empty cup for the past twenty minutes, Natsume! There's more hot chocolate in that thermos over there," she said, nodding towards the item.

As he stood up to refill his cup, Mikan let out a giggle.

_Why is she laughing now? Wait...shoot, did I leave my fly open?_ Alarmed, the black cat turned around to check.

"I remember the time when Tsubasa and I were having coffee by the roadside café…"

_Tsubasa this, Tsubasa that..._he thought angrily. _If she's with somebody else now..._

Natsume clenched his fists and shut his ruby eyes tight.

_Where does that leave me?_

" – but enough about me and Tsubasa," she said suddenly. "How about you, Natsume? How are things between you and…"

He looked at her with questioningly. _Me and...?_

"…you and...the one you like?"

TO BE CONTINUED…

* * *

**Author's Note: **So what do you guys think? Did you like it? Was it too drama-heavy? Too long, perhaps? 

Please tell me what you think by dropping a _review_.

This chapter took a lot of work, but I'll admit that it's not perfect. That said, if there were any aspects in this chapter (or the story, for that matter) that you feel I should correct right away, please say so through a polite yet straight-to-the-point _critique _(no flames, please).

Once again, I would like to put into good use this particular blank space by giving my **_sincerest thanks _**to the following wonderful people who reviewed Chapter 2 (as of press time): **Cerulean Soul, hend, Michiyosama7, brimstone and gore, danavalkyrie, glenda23, dbzgtfan2004, Azurana K., shanfov, .H.P.I.A.L. (you're name's too long, Louie:P), **and **akai ladycuteluck. **

Thank you very much for your overwhelming support, guys! These last two chapters wouldn't be here without you!

**To all _Tsubasa x Misaki_ and _Natsume x Mikan_ fans:** **Please don't send me hate mail (T.T)! **I'm a fan of the two pairings too, and I can assure you; things **will **work out in the end. But of course, I can't spill the beans just yet…

**P.S.** In lieu with a suggestion I have received, I shall proclaim to all ye readers that the first part of Chapter 1 (yes, the mysterious, italicized part) is a flashback. I am terribly sorry, but I am unable to give the identities of the two _italicized _speakers and/or the identity of the one speaking in first person (unitalicized sentence) as of the moment. In the meantime, please tune in as their masks would slowly be unveiled as the story continues…

Mwahahaha…you didn't think I'd reveal it _that_ easily, did you?

O.o

Er…right.

Anyways, please don't forget to leave a review!

Till the next chapter, dear reader (_waves hand_)!


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